


So Small A Thing

by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)



Category: Video Blogging RPF, Youtube RPF
Genre: Angst and Feels, Bittersweet, Canon Compliant, Caretaking, Caring, Christmas Fluff, Confusion, Crying, Developing Relationship, Drawing, Embarrassment, Explanations, Family Feels, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Getting to Know Each Other, Gift Giving, Happy Ending, Heartache, Heartwarming, Hobbies, Hugs, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Men Crying, Multiple Selves, Pre-Canon, Promises, Realization, Shock, Surprises, gratitude
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-15 23:57:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13042242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Im_The_Doctor
Summary: Jackieboy dabbles in drawing sometimes and decides to give some of his sketches to his fellow Egos as early Christmas presents. When he gives Dr. Schneeplestein his, however, the doctor's reaction comes as quite a shock.





	So Small A Thing

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place sort of pre-canon, when Chase and Jameson haven't been created yet; Anti, Jackieboy, Marvin and Schneep are the only Egos around and Schneep, the youngest Ego in the house, is about to celebrate his first Christmas with them <3

Jackieboy only drew occasionally; it was so rare that it couldn’t even be considered a _hobby_ , really. It was just an itch that he got every so often. Sometimes, as soon as he picked up the pencil, it flitted away and he left behind a blank sheet of paper and an unconcerned shrug. Other times, he stayed bent over the piece of paper for a few hours and came out with something he was surprisingly proud of.

Once Marvin had peered over his shoulder as he was passing by, commenting offhandedly, “Huh! I’ve seen that lady somewhere before…”

“Yeah, she was on the news; I saved her earlier this week. Remember the car chase?” Jackieboy had replied with a light laugh. “Guess she got stuck in my head, so this happened!”

Marvin had stopped up short at that, spinning around with a whisk of his cape and retracing his steps, clutching Jackieboy’s nearest shoulder as he leaned over it toward the paper in his lap. “You drew that?!” he gasped. “Jackie, that’s amazing! But how—? Jack draws like garbage! _I_ draw like garbage and Anti— _eugh!_ Where did _you_ learn to draw like that?!”

“I don’t know, it just kinda happens!” Jackieboy protested, unsure why he was getting so worked up about it. “It’s just a sketch!”

“It’s so lifelike…”

Shrugging helplessly, Jackieboy lifted the paper for him to take. “Well, you can have it if you like it so much!” He hadn’t been expecting Marvin to look so excited to have it, but it was nice to see his friend smile.

That fond memory had crossed his mind this year as he was wrapping presents and it hadn’t taken long for the itch to accompany it. Perhaps he could give them each a drawing as an extra little gift—something they could smile at until receiving the rest of their presents on the big day, he decided with a grin, searching for a sheet of paper that hadn’t already been scribbled on or… _otherwise_ stained, if Anti had so chosen.

It was his first time drawing his fellow Egos, but somehow it was like muscle memory. He knew Marvin and Anti so well by now that it barely took any thought to summon their faces and pour them onto the paper. Anti’s mouth naturally found its way into his usual, unflattering sneer and Marvin’s eyes were narrowed in intense concentration, so he added a spark in them for magical effect.

Dr. Schneeplestein—Henrik—took a little more effort. He was only a few months old now and had spent most of that time in his lab or exploring the deep vestiges of Egos Central. It wasn’t that he was shy, not at _all_ ; he was simply…a little out of sync. He was still finding his place. Jackieboy scribbled and erased, trimmed and tweaked, until he couldn’t do anything more with the third portrait and then carefully blew away the extra pencil shavings. It was all too easy to smear his sketches with his clumsy red gloves; he’d learned that the hard way!

Jackie left Anti’s at his bedroom door; he couldn’t be sure if Anti even went in there, but he had a feeling the Glitch would let him know whether or not his gift was received. Marvin was both surprised and delighted when Jackieboy slid it onto his desk, offering nothing but a demure smile in response to his praises.

“Does this mean you’re picking up drawing again?” Marvin questioned as he tacked the drawing onto his wall by his desk. “I haven’t seen you draw in ages!”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Jackieboy warned good-naturedly. “This was just a spur-of-the-moment thing!”

Shaking his head at him, Marvin exclaimed, “I can’t believe you! You’re missing a good opportunity, maybe even a side-job!” Whatever his next words were trailed off as he noticed the paper in Jackieboy’s other hand. “Ooh…is that Schneeplestein’s?” He handled it carefully when the hero handed it to him, huffing lightly. “I would’ve thought you’d draw him with his mask on, like you did me.”

“I tried, but he looked better without it. Made it more personal.”

“Well, I think he’s really going to like it,” Marvin assured him as he returned it.

Now, judging by the puzzled expression on the doctor’s face, Jackieboy couldn’t tell if Marvin’s words rang true or not. “What do you think?” he ventured cautiously, instinctively glancing between the paper and its new owner’s face as he tugged his surgical mask off to reply. Alright, Jackieboy decided in relief, he was smiling—

“Is very nice, Jackieboy,” he announced brightly. “It does look like Jack; he will very much like it!” With that, he half-turned to leave, motioning for Jackieboy to take it back. Jackieboy grabbed his arm before he could, smiling patiently.

“N-No, wait, Henrik, look again,” he began, gesturing to the paper and then back at the doctor’s face. “You see the glasses?”

Schneeplestein paused, readjusting his own glasses as he did a double-take. “Oh!” he realized, taken aback. “You’ve drawn me! Well, I’m very flattered! You should put that up somewhere; it’s good!”

“Why don’t _you_ hang it up?” Jackieboy countered, laughing incredulously. “I’m giving it to you!”

His heart automatically sank as Henrik flinched back, eyes widening. The paper crunched slightly under his fingers as his grip tightened and he lowered his gaze to it again for several seconds. When he looked back up, his expression was nothing less than stunned.

“This is gift for me?” he asked, uncomprehending.

Jackieboy’s heart sank further, until it had almost reached the pit of his stomach. “Yeah,” he confirmed half-heartedly. “It’s alright if you don’t like it, I guess; I’ve got other things for you to open on Christmas—”

“ _Other_ things—?” Henrik echoed hoarsely, eyes welling up as he clutched the paper against his chest. “You—No one has—” Before Jackieboy could react, the youngest Ego had fairly tackled him in a hug, half-laughing and half-sobbing. “My first-ever gift, Jackie, thank you, thank you! _Ich liebe es_ , I love it!”

He’d never received a gift. Not once. Not from any of them, for any reason. There…never _had_ been any reason. With Schneep’s face pressed against his shoulder, he wasn’t able to see the mingled shock, dismay, and helpless care on Jackieboy’s face. He just barely managed to school his features into a smile before Henrik pulled away, hugging his drawing close and beaming through his tears.

“Thank you so much!” he exclaimed again, to which Jackieboy nodded wordlessly. The doctor took that as a satisfactory answer, laughing wetly and shaking his head. “Don’t mind this state of tears, heh. Tears are a healthy, natural thing! But—ooh, I know _just_ where to put this!”

On that note, he ran off, leaving Jackieboy to process what had just happened and swear to himself beforehand that he _would not_ tear up when he watched the youngest Ego open the presents he had waiting for him on Christmas Day.

His combined flattery and embarrassment when he found his drawing plastered in the dead center of the lab door would help bolster this promise.

**Author's Note:**

> I probably make Schneeplestein cry way too often, but this was a happy cry, so it's better than the others! <3 I just have way too many feelings about him, okay? ~~And this was before he started hating Christmas because his family left~~ Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Leave a kudos or a comment if you want to tell me what you thought; I'd love to hear from you!


End file.
